How does it work?

Find a new pal's contact email and public key ID. In return, offer your own for someone else.

Then just email them to practice your encryption skills whilst getting to know someone else who cares about digital self-defense.

What is my Key ID?

Your public key is quite long so it's useful to have a shorthand to reference it. The Key ID is one such reference. You can use your Key ID to search for your details on public keyservers, such as the MIT Public Key server. These keyservers are a good place to publically list your key so that anyone can encrypt mail to you if they have your email address or Key ID.

Please let us know of other offers of support, particularly publicity, web hosting and development.

Is encryption worth it?

People may say that small-scale efforts, such as cryptopals.org, to encourage and assist encryption uptake are insignificant compared to the amount of uptake necessary.

Some say that we need slicker, convenient email encryption provision from big companies to achieve real privacy in society. Such an outcome, if brought about with honest, credible technical implementation, would be ideal.

The marketing value of your data is seen in the ads that surround your emails.

But it would also, probably, rely on those companies sacrificing a chief element of their business model, that is, the ability to mine user email data, content and all, for its marketing value.

Even if it were to happen, it would likely be thanks to demand. That demand will grow as people are helped to increase their use of encryption. The more ordinary folks encrypt, the greater demand will be.

So, tools which help people upskill together help support a positive transition.